Don’t count Maryland out of ACC race

By Lee Roberts  |   Thursday, November 13, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Maryland Terrapins
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In the ACC Atlantic Division, many pundits seem to have already eliminated the Maryland Terrapins from consideration. However, with a win over Wake Forest already, Maryland controls its own destiny in the enigmatic ACC title race.

Commentary: Maryland’s season is a microcosm for the entire ACC. One week, Maryland plays like it’s an ACC cellar dweller and then the next week it looks like an ACC champion. Players, coaches, fans and media have stopped predicting which Terrapins team will show up on any given Saturday. If the better version of Maryland shows up the next couple of weeks, the Terrapins will be playing in Tampa for the ACC championship.

The two-game stretch in October that featured a trip to Virginia and a visit from Wake Forest perfectly demonstrates Maryland’s Jekyll and Hyde phenomenon. On Oct. 4, Maryland traveled to Charlottesville to face a UVA team coming off a 45-10 loss to Connecticut and a 31-3 beating by Duke. Naturally, Maryland lost 31-0. After a bye week, Wake Forest then came to College Park ranked 21st in the nation and 4-1 overall. And, predictably, Maryland shut the Deacons out 26-0. That’s a 57-point swing in consecutive games.

It seems the key ingredient for Maryland this season has been location. In home games, Maryland is 5-0 and averaging 30.6 points per game. On the road, Maryland is 1-3 and averaging only 11.8 points per game, including a loss at Middle Tennessee State.

Those statistics bode well for this week’s matchup with North Carolina. If Maryland can continue its home dominance this week and next against Florida State, it'll be one game from the ACC title showdown. Of course, that game is at Boston College, so let’s not start the celebration too early in College Park.

Fan Pulse: This message board is not pleased with a Sporting News column that has given Maryland “no chance” of winning the Atlantic Division.

Injury Watch: No new major injuries to report for the Terrapins this week.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
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